Time Will Tell
by SakuraSpark
Summary: Once in a while, right in the middle of ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale...until reality rips it apart. "Who are you exactly?" "I am Prince Austin hailing from the kingdom of Neilaz and you are my princess!" Right…dude's a total lunatic! At least, that was what 21st century Ally Dawson thought at first. AU. Auslly and Trez.
1. Debut

A/N: Inspired by the movies Cinderella 3 and Enchanted.

The characters will be mildly OOC.

Please also note that they come from an alternate universe era where there might be a mix of traditional and modern terminology.

Many thanks to **bornfreeonekiss**, **WinterFairy7337** and **Anne** for their wonderful and invaluable beta help.

I do not own Austin & Ally.

* * *

Austin and Dez had only just stepped into the massive hallway and were immediately welcomed by the former's parents.

"King Michael, Queen Mimi," Dez bowed in greeting.

Mimi smiled at her son and his best friend while Mike questioned their day's report.

"Under disguise, we have visited the marketplace every day for the past week and nothing seemed out of the ordinary, Father. I do not think that the rumours of a black market are valid," stated Austin.

King Mike nodded his head, his expression grave as he pondered over his son's words, "Very well. However, such things must not be taken lightly. Strict monitoring must still be maintained," he added, his firm gaze fixed on Dez.

"Of course, Michael. We wouldn't dream of letting our guard down," was Dez's reply.

"Now, I'm sure the boys are tired after a long day. Let them go back to their loves," Mimi placed a gentle hand on her husband's shoulder.

Mike chuckled, "Oh yes, the girls are waiting for you in the small gallery behind the study room. They are rather excited for the upcoming ball, I should say."

The two young men's countenances lit up with happiness, and they scurried away as fast as etiquette could allow them while Austin's parents found amusement in their actions.

* * *

As Dez and Austin hurried towards their fiancées, all the two could think about were how much they had missed them. The week had been rough, with the threats of a black market affecting taxes and inflation in their economy.

Prince Austin Monica Moon was heir to Northern Neilaz and the only son of King Michael 'Mike' and Queen Mimi. The main industry of their merry kingdom was the export of plant-based textile fibres, such as cotton and flax. The people also had traditions encompassing music of all sorts, allowing them to produce generations of masters in the art.

Prince Dezmond 'Dez' Worthy was heir to Southern Neilaz and best friend to Prince Austin Moon. He was the son of King Dennis and Queen Donna, and brother to a younger sister, affectionately nicknamed Didi. Their jovial kingdom produced animal-based textile fibres, such as alpaca fleece and llama wool. Their kingdom also encouraged imagination and creativity, enabling the creation of masters in the art of illustration and illusion.

With affiliations that had spanned for centuries, the two neighbouring kingdoms had forged an almost ironclad defence against ill-bearing adversaries.

And of course, who could forget to mention the light of their lives?

Princess Allyson 'Ally' Dawson was the only daughter of King Lester and Queen Penelope 'Penny'. Austin and she had met at a small music festival in Neilaz. Her family owned a small cluster of islands off the coast that boasted of world-class veterinary skills and great wealth management, courtesy of her parents' talents.

Her own talents came in handy when assisting Austin with daily royal duties, as well as being able to keep track and organise the perfect systematic way of hierarchy in the palace, which increased efficiency by more than one hundred percent, despite Ally's insistence that it was mathematically impossible to exceed a hundred percent. Education and finances within the palace showed top results and returns. It also didn't hurt that Ally had matching musical abilities that attracted Austin to her in the first place along with her kind-heartedness.

Princess Patricia 'Trish' Maria de la Rosa came from a large family, inclusive of a little brother and a long line of extended relatives. Dez had run into her while he was helping one of his commoner farmers herd their cattle, and she just so happened to be touring the countryside. The literal run-in had resulted in the headstrong girl ranting at him and the beginning of a love-hate relationship, which ultimately blossomed into true love.

Thanks to Trish's large family, her kingdom —whose main trade was tourism and consumerism— had connections via marriages and immigrations that many states coveted. Her adeptness at organising events and entertaining foreign ambassadors were also greatly cherished by the princes. Not to mention her unique sense of fashion that got all the ambassadors' wives returning. Dez also was very much in love with the confidence that she exuded; the confidence that came not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.

* * *

"Ally!" Austin exclaimed as he entered the room.

A young lady with brown, wavy hair and bright eyes looked up from the piano that she had been playing a moment ago and smiled at her fiancée who had just stepped into the room.

She stood up from the bench and they ran at each other with a hug. Austin picked Ally up and twirled her around joyously. He then put her down slowly and kissed her all over her face tenderly while she giggled with shyness.

"Now, I am not against public displays of affection, but was that really necessary?" an amused voice sounded from behind Austin.

The blonde prince turned around, grinning at his best friend's fiancée, who was also his fiancée's best friend.

The olive-skinned lady with pinned-back ebony curls stood there, smirking, surrounded by yards of lace and silk. "Jealous, Trish?" teased Austin.

Trish scoffed as Dez made his way over to her and placed a kiss on her cheek after stumbling several times over the materials.

"If Dez ever tried that, I would smother him with the lace you see right here," she said as she waved a piece of the fabric at Austin.

Dez looked startled at her words. Trish looked up at him, smirked and tiptoed, for he was very much taller than her, and placed a small peck on his lips. He beamed widely.

Austin and Ally shook their heads as they smiled at the couple. It was truly fortunate that the two had ended up together, for they had taken much effort and time to match-make their best friends. And good lord, the two of them had been incredibly stubborn at each other's supposed affections until Austin and Ally had shoved the two into a barn to talk their feelings out. Ally had heard later that Trish initially tried to use one of the horses in there to smash their way out. Thankfully, Dez had managed to 'rescue' her from the stampeding animal in time, resulting in the two getting past their bickering and to finally start courting.

"I see that you ladies are doing well in the preparation for the upcoming celebration," laughed Austin as he lightly plucked a feather out of Ally's hair.

"Well, it is the announcement of our engagements after all. I am trying to finish a few music pieces for the ensemble to play at the event," revealed Ally. "But Trish was having an absolute conniption at the 'hideous interior decoration and flaky tailoring of the incompetent freelancers who had been hired.'"

"Well, they _did_ have incredibly bad taste," defended Trish, crossing her arms, her head held high.

As the happy couples continued their discussion about the engagement ball, none of them noticed the pair of dark, soulless eyes promising impending despair and hopelessness, watching them from a hidden balcony in the room...

* * *

-end-

**Sneak preview of the next chapter: **

"I beg your pardon, miss," Austin bowed to the little girl. She was startled at first, but she then giggled at his behaviour. "Could you possibly tell us where we are?" he asked.

"You're in Miami, silly!"

* * *

A/N: Please review and share your thoughts on this story so far! :)

Did you notice that each kingdom's best trade is based on their families/individual talents? ;)

Oh! And a trivia question! Do you guys know how the fictional kingdom of Neilaz was so named?

I also had to use full names for the purpose of this story hence I went with the most suitable ones despite them not being verified in the actual show yet.


	2. Chapter I

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the story so far. Read and review!

Thank you to **bornfreeonekiss**,** WinterFairy7337 **and** Anne** for beta help.

I do not own Austin and Ally.

* * *

When the day of the engagement ball finally rolled around, both Dez and Austin were being fitted into their tailored outfits. They had to admit that Trish had done quite a magnificent job working with the tailors in the end, despite her initial clash with them.

Both of them were also secretly elated to finally be able to announce their decision to spend the rest of their lives with the girls they loved so dearly.

"Sir Austin? Sir Dez?" A knock sounded on the door. It was their right-hand man, Duke Dallas.

"Come in!" Austin permitted entry.

Dallas came in and bowed, "Have the both of you seen the princesses by any chance? Their wash maids and serving ladies have been waiting for them for hours."

The two princes looked at each other in confusion. The girls had no reason to be elsewhere, unless they were dealing with another 'crisis', as Trish had put it.

Just then, a loud scream permeated the hustle of the room, causing everyone to freeze in fear.

_'That was Ally!_' Austin realized. The mere thought of his fiancée being in some sort of trouble was more than enough to drive him into a state of panic. He quickly dashed off to find her, with Dez and Dallas trailing closely behind him. Dez knew that Trish was probably with Ally, and therefore she might also be in the same trouble. Internally, the princes prayed that the scream was just Ally overreacting to the appearance of a rat or something equivalent.

The men barged into the bedchambers of the girls and looked around frantically.

What they saw, however, made their blood run cold.

"Hello, my princes."

* * *

Austin started to stir. He opened his eyes a fraction and blinked rapidly at the bright sunlight. _Where was he? _He heard many people speaking all at once around him and felt hands prodding at his body.

He groaned and forced himself to open his eyes wide. Peering blearily at his surroundings, he found that the ceiling that greeted him was his own. He was in his personal chambers.

"Prince Austin! You are finally awake! Your parents have been terribly worried," an elderly nurse spoke to him.

"Austin?" His parents entered the room and rushed to his side. The remaining staff excused themselves and left the family alone.

"Austin, we are so glad that you are alright. You had everybody frightened out of their wits, especially your mother here," Michael spoke up first.

"Oh hush, Michael. I had faith in my son," whispered Mimi.

"What happened?" asked Austin groggily.

"You and Dez were found unconscious in Ally and Trish's chambers," explained Mimi.

_Ally…Ally_! The memory of Ally's scream from the previous evening came flooding back and Austin sat up hurriedly. This was not a smart move however, for everything started spinning, and he felt his head throbbing with pain. He groaned.

The king pushed his son back down gently. "Easy there, son," he said comfortingly. I know you are anxious to get to your woman, but you need to rest first."

"Where is Ally?"

His parents looked at each other, a look of apprehension on their faces. A dull sensation of uneasiness grew in Austin's stomach.

"We have no idea where Ally and Trish are. Do you remember anything about how you and Dez fell unconscious?"

Austin tried to recall what happened, but his mind was a complete blank. He shook his head.

"Dez could not recall what had happened either. He is extremely devastated right now as well," explained Mimi. "Perhaps the two of you could get together sometime later, and one of you will eventually remember something. For now, my son, please rest well."

With that, his parents left Austin's room, leaving the young man to get some sleep. But he couldn't, not when his mind was wrapped up with worry for Ally and Trish.

* * *

"IT HAS BEEN ALMOST A MONTH!" Austin roared at his men. "WHERE ARE THEY?!"

"Your highness, a kingdom-wide search has been ongoing. Our fellow country allies as well as the princesses' families have also been notified and are aiding with the search. I am sure that news about them will surface soon," the general tried to pacify an angry Austin.

Austin let out a groan of frustration. Dez sat quietly in his chair and watched the whole scene. He had not been himself since Trish disappeared and Austin definitely felt the same way.

Just then, puffs of black clouds billowed into the room through the opened windows, bringing with it flashing lightning and tumultuous thunder. Shouts of surprise came from Austin's soldiers followed by a deafening crash as something was brutally knocked down. When the wisps cleared, all of the soldiers were found to be unconscious, and the gusts revealed a hooded black figure in the middle of the room.

A decidedly feminine voice spoke, "Do you want to find your lady loves?"

Austin and Dez both drew their swords and pointed them at the mysterious person.

"Do you want to find Princesses Allyson and Patricia?" the voice repeated emotionlessly.

"Who are you and what do you know about their whereabouts?" demanded Austin, his voice quivering slightly.

"I am nobody. And as for your second question, they are in a faraway place. If you wish to retrieve them, you may. However, be warned that once you are there, you might never return."

Austin and Dez hesitated, unsure if they should believe the words of this mysterious figure.

Sensing the princes' uncertainty, the voice let out a vicious cackle that echoed across the entire room. In another flash of lightning, it simply disappeared. In its place sat a portal, white and glowing – as if beckoning the princes to step through.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Mimi asked her son once again as she adjusted his armour. "At least bring some men with you."

"We must do this ourselves, Mother. Somehow, we know we will find a way," Austin pulled his mother's hands into his own in an attempt to comfort her.

Dez nodded in affirmation, "Somewhere, we know that they are waiting for us. Do not worry, King and Queen. For I will protect Austin with my life, as I'm very certain he will do the same for me as well."

"Stay safe, the both of you," ordered King Michael.

The two young men bade farewell to the majesties, before turning around and stepping into the light.

* * *

"Hmm…" Dez hummed as he stared at their strange surroundings. There were a couple of odd-shaped structures and buildings that barely resembled the villages of Neilaz. Just by looking at the crowds of chattering people and their odd clothing, it was clear that Dez and Austin didn't belong in this realm. The two of them were starting to attract peculiar looks from individuals around them.

One of those individuals was a little girl about the age of eleven or twelve, gawking at Austin and Dez, her eyes as round as saucers.

"I beg your pardon, miss," Austin bowed to the little girl. She was startled at first, but she then giggled at his behaviour. "Could you possibly tell us where we are?" he asked.

"You're in Miami, silly!" the girl exclaimed.

* * *

-end-

A/N: And the plot thickens! I always wanted to say that, lol.


	3. Chapter II

A/N: For those who didn't realise, Neilaz is Zalien spelled backwards! :) Kudos to those managed to guess it.

Thank you to **Anne** and **WinterFairy7337** for their beta help.

I do not own Austin and Ally.

* * *

"Miami?" Austin looked back at Dez, who looked as muddled as he felt.

Dez took a moment to study the girl's appearance, taking note of her long mane of auburn hair and the pair of blue eyes that was peeking up at him. There was something strangely familiar about those blue eyes…Dez couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Hey, Worthy!" a voice called out. Both Dez and the girl turned to see a young boy with a mess of brown hair on his head walking towards them. He appeared to be around the girl's age. Whoever he was, she seemed to recognise him and gave him a smile.

When the brunette boy reached them, he raised a brow at Austin and Dez's outfits. "What are you doing hanging out with these…weirdoes?" he asked the girl.

The girl laughed, "I don't know them. They seem lost though!"

"Who cares? Let's go," he said, tugging on the girl's hand.

"Wait!" Austin exclaimed. "We are in dire need of assistance. Please?" he added when the two turned back.

"Uh, no," the boy clipped shortly before proceeding to walk off.

"Aww, c'mon Moon, help the guys out! They look like princes," the redhead girl giggled again.

Worthy? Moon? Austin and Dez exchanged a look of utter confusion. This whole situation was getting weirder by the second.

"Um, might we have the honour of knowing your names?" asked Dez.

The girl smiled up at him, "I'm Donna Worthy and this is Mike Moon!"

* * *

Before they knew it, both Austin and Dez had frozen from shock. The kids had resorted to everything from snapping fingers to stomping on their feet but alas, to no avail. They finally managed to break the princes out of their stupor by nothing short of hosing them down with a jet stream of ice cold water.

"Pfft!" the two spluttered.

"What are you two all stunned about? It's not our fault our parents decided to name us after our great-great-great-great-great—"

"That's enough," little Donna interrupted.

"—great grandparents," finished Mike.

Austin and Dez looked at each other again, and suddenly it hit them like a sack of potatoes.

"What year are we in?" Austin inquired nervously.

Donna and Mike looked confusedly up at the two. "2014!" the latter informed them.

* * *

After withstanding a yelling session from the kids for not having any actual usable money for ice- cream, which the princes had suggested buying in the first place, the princes realised that a few hours had already passed. They were never going to find their loves at this rate. Austin and Dez finally resigned to being honest, and explained their situation.

"So you two are princes," clarified a very sceptical Mike.

"Yes," the princes said together.

"And your princesses were taken away from you."

"Yes."

"And you guys are our great-great-great-great—"

"How long is this going to take?" asked Austin, clearly tired.

"I never knew we had blue blood in us! Aww, let's help them! " cheered Donna. The two princes smiled at the little girl's innocence and hyperactivity. '_Definitely a Worthy_,' they thought.

They had figured that this Mike Moon and Donna Worthy were probably their descendants and they hoped that this would be the first step in finding their fiancées.

Mike decided to have a private discussion with Donna on the issue.

"I don't believe their story! I mean, seriously? Princes? What is this, 1945?" he began in a hushed tone.

"Erm, first of all, that's a strange year to use as an example. And secondly, there _are_ still royal families around till this day you know."

"I don't care about that. What I care about is their claims of being our infinitely great grandparents! There's no such thing as sorcery or whatever these guys are talking about."

Donna pouted a little, "But I want to help them! Pleaseeeee?"

Mike sighed and looked over at the two princes. They were watching him and Donna woefully. Mike glanced back at Donna. She was giving him puppy eyes, even going as far to poke out her lower lip. He let out another sigh of defeat and agreed.

"Yay!" applauded Donna. Mike smiled at his best friend. She can be so kooky sometimes. But that's what he liked about her; her carefree attitude.

"Now listen here, you," Mike began addressing the two, but was interrupted by Austin.

"Whether or not you believe in our story, I believe the proper social etiquette is that you must treat others with respect. Now watch your tone, and try again."

Mike scowled. This stranger guy was acting like his parent! Although technically, he was his grandparent, but—Wait, no! He refused to believe in this nonsense.

"Fine. Would the both of you just LISTEN," he began politely but it turned into a growl. Donna and Austin, who couldn't help himself, rolled their eyes at him.

"My parents are out of town on business for about a month, so you guys can stay with me. But when the nanny comes, the both of you are strictly only Donna's and my big brothers. Get it?"

"Would your nanny not notice if you suddenly had two older brothers?" questioned Austin.

"Not real brothers, silly! He meant the ones who volunteer for community! They help to guide younger kids, acting as mentors!" replied Donna.

"Oh! Well, that sounds like something we could do. By the way, I have to ask, do either one of you own a turtle?" asked Dez.

Mike raised a brow in question. "No…" he said slowly, "Why would we?"

"Why would you not?" replied Dez seriously.

Donna shrugged. "Okay…Well, let's get you guys settled at Mikey's and we'll plan our search for your princesses!"

The princes could only agree quietly as they placed all their hopes on this strange land and two little children.

* * *

-end-

A/N: The boys get to go to modern day school next chapter. What chaos will ensue? Review please! :D


	4. Chapter III

A/N: Mildly racially sensitive scenario below for culture shock purposes only. No offence meant. Love y'all. :)

For those who dislike the topic discussed, you may jump straight to the next chapter which is exactly the same, just with a different scenario. :D Enjoy!

Thank you to **WinterFairy7337** and **Anne** for their awesome beta help.

I do not own Austin & Ally.

* * *

"What is this?" Dez stared at the strange device sitting on the kitchen countertop, before he promptly attempted to fit his head into it.

"That's a blender. I wouldn't do that if I were you and wanted to keep my face intact," replied Mike as he observed them.

The two princes had practically asked them everything about their world and every single electronic device they had come across. Austin had almost had an anxiety attack when Donna received a call from her real older brother. She'd spoke into a small box that piped out another person's voice. "A sure sign of the devil and insanity!" he had cried out.

The duo had even offended a couple of dark-skinned men when Dez wondered aloud on why ***** were allowed in broad daylight.

_-flashback-_

"Look at those men!" Dez nudged Austin as they passed by a few black guys on their way to Mike's house.

"You got a problem, fella?" one of the men asked.

"How did you manage to do it?" whispered Dez conspiratorially.

"Do what?" the guy asked, confused.

"Escape slavery and not be hauled back to your captors! And also, flaunting your ***** dark skin out in broad daylight!"

One of the other man who was drinking from a bottle, choked while Mike and Donna gaped at Dez.

"What did you call us?" the men all stood up, riled and offended.

"Uh, did…I say something wrong?" flustered Dez.

"Hell yeah, you did, you soulless white bastard."

Dez gasped in offence. "Yeah, that's right, I went there!" said the man.

Fortunately, Donna came to the rescue as mediator. "Uh, erm, sorry about this. They were just practicing for a play set in 1666 London and they're just too much in character!" she told the angry men.

"So, what you're saying is that black people weren't invented then yet?" retorted one of the men.

"Huh?" his friend asked.

"You know what I mean. That they're saying that dark-skinned people didn't exist during that period."

While all the other men argued about the confusing statement, Mike and Donna had quickly pushed, shoved, and dragged the princes away, all the while lecturing them on the usage of proper, non-offensive vocabulary.

"The word that you used," Mike pointed at Dez accusingly, "may have been a polite terminology when referring to African-Americans before the Civil Rights Movement in the late 1960s, but nowadays, it's considered offensive unless it's referred to in historical context."

Austin was pretty darn proud of his lineage after that little display of knowledge from his descendant.

* * *

_-Back in the present-_

If he didn't know better, Mike could've sworn that Austin and Dez were definitely not of the same time period as he and Donna were. However, he did know better and so he resolved to begin searching for mental institutions that may have recently lost two patients as soon as he could.

"Anyway, Donna and I have discussed the whole…situation…and we figured that it might be best if you started off with a cover story while we start a search plan."

Austin and Dez listened attentively to the boy as he explained about school being their best cover, especially since they were 'nine-and-ten' (19) while their girls were 'eight-and-ten' (18). High school seemed like the logical choice to start their search if they were indeed in this world.

After about a week's worth of registration and preparation, Mike was briefing Dez and Austin on what they should expect for their first day of school. "You guys will be meeting lots of people! Jocks, cheerleaders, science geeks, math nerds, blah blah blah…"

Dez raised a hand to cut in. "We do not know what those terms mean," he said.

"You'll learn," replied Mike simply.

Mike and Donna, due to their age differences with the older princes, were not going to be in the same school. However, the middle school and high school were just next to each other, making it convenient in case of any emergencies.

"Here are your burner cells; I've already taught you how to use them." The two princes looked dubiously at the 'devil devices' that Donna handed to them. When Donna had questioned Mike about the use of funds for the clothes and school fees, Mike mumbled something about emergency savings and his dad's credit cards. Oh boy, he would be so dead when his parents returned.

The two princes were now dressed in 21st Century-era t-shirts and jeans with the exception of Dez, who had insisted on choosing his own colours. He was wearing neon versions of Austin's clothes. He looked like a walking, and talking, traffic light.

"Yeah, I think you should be able to pass off as high schoolers and fit right in," Mike smirked proudly at his handiwork.

"If I ever get in a duel and the other man gets to choose the weapon, I'm hoping he says pancakes," smiled Austin. He had been pretty obsessed with food fights and pancakes ever since he saw one happening on the 'magic box' also known as the TV, and tried pancakes that Donna had made.

"As long as you get rid of your weird language habits that is," frowned Mike.

* * *

"This is all rather exciting," commented Dez as he smiled at his best friend. He had slowly started to come out of his moody shell after they had begun their mission to search for the girls. It was after all, more than what they had been doing a week ago.

Austin gave a small smile in return; he hoped that this school that they had enrolled in was going to bear more fruit than their previous aimless searches. This strange yet oddly amazing world was their only clue to where they could possibly find Ally and Trish.

After a few wrong turns in the hallways and using their impeccable manners to charm the headmistress and an old lady in the administrative office, the two boys were finally brought to their classes. Thankfully, they had the exact same timetable.

"Class, please welcome your new classmates, they're transfers," announced the teacher.

There was a small smattering of applause from several individuals in the class as the two boys waved brightly. They had almost bowed due to habit but had refrained from doing so after Mike's repeated warnings that they would be teased for it.

* * *

By lunchtime, they were enormously relieved. They had absolutely no idea where on Earth or what in the world a 'Russia' was and who the creator of e=mC2 was. Was that even right? Ugh.

During the interim periods between classes, the boys had tried to catch glimpses of students out in the hallways, but they failed to spot the two they most wanted to see.

On the bright side, Austin and Dez had managed to make friends with a bunch of the supposed 'cool kids' that Mike had mentioned. The two, however, did not like how some of the females were daringly flirtatious, leaning against him and Dez while lingering their hands all over. That behaviour was almost positively harlot-like.

During lunch, the guys were introduced to the rest of the clique. Dez immediately made a nemesis out of Chuck over their argument of what a balanced meal was.

Meanwhile, two girls observed the chaos from their individual positions across the cafeteria.

"Who are those weirdoes?" one of them, a short girl asked her group as they stepped into the room. They all turned to glance at the two new guys.

"Oh, they are just these two new kids who just transferred to our school. Elliot and Trent took a liking to them almost immediately. They're in my class! Pretty good looking aren't they? Especially the blond?" replied Brooke excitedly.

Dez was holding a fruit in Chuck's face. "Perhaps eating this orange today will undo your years of unhealthy food choices!" he declared.

"I repeat. Weirdoes! Anyway, tell Trent I won't be eating lunch today. I have detention for losing my homework at work."

"You work at the smoothie shop."

"So?"

"So how did you…never mind. We'll let him know, Trish."

* * *

"So those are the new guys in your class that you were telling me about?" the other girl asked her friend.

"Yes, aren't they cute?" gushed Kira.

"Well, I guess so. But their mannerisms seem odd."

"Who cares? Cute is cute!"

The girl laughed, "Whatever you say, Kira. I'm done with my lunch. I'm off to my next class."

"So soon?"

"I'm not class valedictorian for nothing, you know."

"Okay, fine. Go and be your little nerdy self, Ally," teased Kira as she waved goodbye.

* * *

-end-

A/N: *gasp* Well there the girls are! A little suspiciously fast in their appearance don't you think? ;)

I asterisked the word up there in the story on purpose. Just imagine it up yourself. It's just to show the difference in their cultural times. (:

The next chapter is a mildly revised version of this chapter, do take a read of the revised 'misunderstanding' scene for some laughs! :D


	5. Chapter III V2

A/N: For those who dislike the topic discussed in the previous chapter...well, enjoy this revised version! :D

Thank you to **Anne **and especially**WinterFairy7337** for their awesome beta help!

I do not own Austin & Ally.

* * *

"What is this?" Dez stared at the strange device sitting on the kitchen countertop, before he promptly attempted to fit his head into it.

"That's a blender. I wouldn't do that if I were you and wanted to keep my face intact," replied Mike as he observed them.

The two princes had practically asked them everything about their world and every single electronic device they had come across. Austin had almost had an anxiety attack when Donna received a call from her real older brother. She'd spoke into a small box that piped out another person's voice. "A sure sign of the devil and insanity!" he had cried out.

The two had even somehow managed to offend some ladies with their funny language while they were buying some groceries earlier that day.

_-flashback-_

"May we cuteth in front of thou as we art in a hie, pleaseth?" Dez smiled at the ladies in front of them in the queue. (May we cut in front of you as we are in a hurry, please?)

"Are you trying to be funny?" one of the women, the dark-haired one, spoke sourly. She glared at him.

Austin attempted to explain. "Nay, mineth cat'r-cousin was just trying to asketh f'r thy p'rmission to-" (No, my friend was just trying to ask for your permission to-

The other lady just stood there, staring blankly at them.

"Um, ma'am may we-"

"Oh! So you _can_ speak proper English!" the dark-haired woman exclaimed, her voice dripping in sarcasm.

"Uh, yes, ma'am. We just-" Dez tried to intervene again.

"Then why were you two boys talking all funny?!"

"We didn't-"

"MANAGER! THESE TWO YOUNG MEN ARE HARASSING US!"

Austin's and Dez's eyes widened in panic when the dark-haired woman started shouting for the store's supervisor.

A large man stomped up to them, his name-tag indicating 'Big Bob'. "What's this about harassing women in my store?" he demanded, frowning in disapproval.

"We were just being polite!" Austin explained.

"No, they were talking funny and trying to flirt with us!"

Dez laughed, "No, ma'am, we would never flirt with you."

Somehow that infuriated the lady even more.

"I demand you do something about them!" she shouted at the poor manager.

"We'll show you an example of how we spoke, alright? Hello st'reth own'r, we wast just being polite," attempted Austin. (Hello store owner, we were just being polite)

There was a pause as the manager took in their words.

"Yep, definitely sounded insulting alright," he declared.

"What?!" Austin exclaimed, outraged at the false accusation.

"You want an insult? Fine. Thou pragging dismal-dreaming wagtail!"

"Thou accursed spur-galled flap-dragon!" added Dez.

"Thou slanderous shard-borne pigeon-egg!"

The two kids dragged the princes out of the store before they could do further damage.

There was a moment of silence before… "That was actually pretty fun," snickered Austin. Dez looked at him expressionlessly before he cracked up as well.

"OK, I don't what all of that was about, but. Thou. be. nice. 'r. else." The look Donna gave them was rather deadly as the two princes tried to avoid her glare. (you be nice, or else.)

"I was just trying to use my most polite way of speaking! We took years to learn that you know," Dez huffed.

"The words that the both of you tried using in that Elizabethan language are no longer in use. Other words have replaced them or the original meaning and use of the words are no longer required. Spoken between the 5th and 12th century in areas of what is now England and Southern Scotland, the Elizabethan/Shakespearean language and vocabulary had not been formalised and were therefore written in a variety of different formats," explained Mike. "I don't think they understood a single word in there, unless they studied old English."

Despite being extremely confused by Mike, Austin was pretty darn proud of his lineage after that little display of knowledge from his descendant.

* * *

_-Back in the present-_

If he didn't know better, Mike could've sworn that Austin and Dez were definitely not of the same time period as he and Donna were. However, he did know better and so he resolved to begin searching for mental institutions that may have recently lost two patients as soon as he could.

"Anyway, Donna and I have discussed the whole…situation…and we figured that it might be best if you started off with a cover story while we start a search plan."

Austin and Dez listened attentively to the boy as he explained about school being their best cover, especially since they were 'nine-and-ten' (19) while their girls were 'eight-and-ten' (18). High school seemed like the logical choice to start their search if they were indeed in this world.

After about a week's worth of registration and preparation, Mike was briefing Dez and Austin on what they should expect for their first day of school. "You guys will be meeting lots of people! Jocks, cheerleaders, science geeks, math nerds, blah blah blah…"

Dez raised a hand to cut in. "We do not know what those terms mean," he said.

"You'll learn," replied Mike simply.

Mike and Donna, due to their age differences with the older princes, were not going to be in the same school. However, the middle school and high school were just next to each other, making it convenient in case of any emergencies.

"Here are your burner cells; I've already taught you how to use them." The two princes looked dubiously at the 'devil devices' that Donna handed to them. When Donna had questioned Mike about the use of funds for the clothes and school fees, Mike mumbled something about emergency savings and his dad's credit cards. Oh boy, he would be so dead when his parents returned.

The two princes were now dressed in 21st Century-era t-shirts and jeans with the exception of Dez, who had insisted on choosing his own colours. He was wearing neon versions of Austin's clothes. He looked like a walking, and talking, traffic light.

"Yeah, I think you should be able to pass off as high schoolers and fit right in," Mike smirked proudly at his handiwork.

"If I ever get in a duel and the other man gets to choose the weapon, I'm hoping he says pancakes," smiled Austin. He had been pretty obsessed with food fights and pancakes ever since he saw one happening on the 'magic box' also known as the TV, and tried pancakes that Donna had made.

"As long as you get rid of your weird language habits that is," frowned Mike.

* * *

"This is all rather exciting," commented Dez as he smiled at his best friend. He had slowly started to come out of his moody shell after they had begun their mission to search for the girls. It was after all, more than what they had been doing a week ago.

Austin gave a small smile in return; he hoped that this school that they had enrolled in was going to bear more fruit than their previous aimless searches. This strange yet oddly amazing world was their only clue to where they could possibly find Ally and Trish.

After a few wrong turns in the hallways and using their impeccable manners to charm the headmistress and an old lady in the administrative office, the two boys were finally brought to their classes. Thankfully, they had the exact same timetable.

"Class, please welcome your new classmates, they're transfers," announced the teacher.

There was a small smattering of applause from several individuals in the class as the two boys waved brightly. They had almost bowed due to habit but had refrained from doing so after Mike's repeated warnings that they would be teased for it.

* * *

By lunchtime, they were enormously relieved. They had absolutely no idea where on Earth or what in the world a 'Russia' was and who the creator of e=mC2 was. Was that even right? Ugh.

During the interim periods between classes, the boys had tried to catch glimpses of students out in the hallways, but they failed to spot the two they most wanted to see.

On the bright side, Austin and Dez had managed to make friends with a bunch of the supposed 'cool kids' that Mike had mentioned. The two, however, did not like how some of the females were daringly flirtatious, leaning against him and Dez while lingering their hands all over. That behaviour was almost positively harlot-like.

During lunch, the guys were introduced to the rest of the clique. Dez immediately made a nemesis out of Chuck over their argument of what a balanced meal was.

Meanwhile, two girls observed the chaos from their individual positions across the cafeteria.

"Who are those weirdoes?" one of them, a short girl asked her group as they stepped into the room. They all turned to glance at the two new guys.

"Oh, they are just these two new kids who just transferred to our school. Elliot and Trent took a liking to them almost immediately. They're in my class! Pretty good looking aren't they? Especially the blond?" replied Brooke excitedly.

Dez was holding a fruit in Chuck's face. "Perhaps eating this orange today will undo your years of unhealthy food choices!" he declared.

"I repeat. Weirdoes! Anyway, tell Trent I won't be eating lunch today. I have detention for losing my homework at work."

"You work at the smoothie shop."

"So?"

"So how did you…never mind. We'll let him know, Trish."

* * *

"So those are the new guys in your class that you were telling me about?" the other girl asked her friend.

"Yes, aren't they cute?" gushed Kira.

"Well, I guess so. But their mannerisms seem odd."

"Who cares? Cute is cute!"

The girl laughed, "Whatever you say, Kira. I'm done with my lunch. I'm off to my next class."

"So soon?"

"I'm not class valedictorian for nothing, you know."

"Okay, fine. Go and be your little nerdy self, Ally," teased Kira as she waved goodbye.

* * *

-end-

A/N: *gasp* Well there the girls are! A little suspiciously fast in their appearance don't you think? ;)


	6. Chapter IV

A/N: Hi there! You may proceed to read on!

Thank you to **Anne** and **WinterFairy7337** for their valuable time and help.

I do not own Austin & Ally.

* * *

"Well, if it isn't perfect Miss Ally Dawson early for class," smirked Trish as Ally stepped into the classroom.

Ally rolled her eyes. "Trish? You got another detention?" she shot back.

"It's not my fault that my homework dislikes staying in my bag."

Ally shook her head as she laughed at the girl. The two of them had known each other since they were little. Although they ran in different circles at school, their relationship remained pretty good.

Ally started to arrange her textbooks and stationery before she realised that she had left one of her books in her locker. "Damn it."

"Did you just cuss?" said Trish amusedly.

Ally ignored her and rushed out to get her book before the bell rang.

* * *

Hastily rifling through her locker, she found her book sitting wide open on the top shelf. She shut it quickly before turning around to return to class. In her rush to find her book, she had failed to notice the tall boy standing on the other side of her locker. She ended up crashing into him.

Ally collided into a hard chest and promptly fell backwards; thankfully the other person had caught her just in time. She looked up to find herself staring into a pair of brown eyes fringed by blond hair. It was one of the new students!

The guy smiled brightly at her, as if he knew her. Ally blushed as soon as she realised that she was still in his arms. She quickly righted herself and thanked him for saving her.

"I'm Ally," she lifted her hand to shake his. He suddenly had a look of devastation on his face. She wasn't sure what had caused it. Was he ok? She was distracted by the bell that signalled the end of lunch and hurriedly rushed off after thanking him once again.

* * *

Austin and Dez headed over to their lockers to collect their books for the next class. When they found that they were only two lockers apart, they both silently agreed that luck appeared to be on their side today. One of the lockers between theirs apparently belonged to a girl who was currently searching for something in it.

As Austin grabbed a textbook and slammed his locker shut, he turned around only to crash into the girl with the locker next to him. The impact caused her to tip backwards. His quick reflexes allowed him to grab onto her waist before she could fall onto the floor, only to find himself looking into the familiar face of his lost love.

Ally.

A bright smile slowly formed on his lips.

There was just no mistaking the girl's dark brown eyes and chestnut hair. He had finally found her. His Ally. She blushed that adorable red he loved on her cheeks. But what she did next, made his world crash all over again.

He stared at the hand that she had lifted in greeting. She obviously did not recognise him. Why? How? No. Those things did not matter anymore. What mattered was that he had found her. And he would try with all his might to bring her back to him.

He looked over at Dez after she had rushed off to class. The ginger had a look of surprise on his face. Since Ally was here, it could mean that Trish was too. They both smiled at each other in hope.

* * *

As classes ended for the day, Ally made her way back to her locker.

"Greetings!" the blond guy from before stood there, smiling.

"Uh, hi?"

"My name is Austin," he introduced himself.

"And, as I said before, I'm Ally," she raised her hand to shake his, but was surprised when he bowed and kissed her hand instead.

"This is Dez," he continued, pointing at the redhead. Dez greeted her the same way Austin did.

She blushed considerably after the gentlemanly gestures. She had the sudden, mysterious urge to curtsey in return.

"Move, Dawson, your hand smooching fest is in the way of my locker," a female voice teased.

Ally blushed a deeper red, and turned to face the girl who occupied the locker in between hers and Dez's. Trish was smirking in amusement at the entire scene.

"Sorry about blocking your locker," laughed Ally as she rolled her eyes at Trish who was grinning at her playfully. The girl then proceeded to open her locker and stuff her things in.

Ally turned back to face the guys to find them looking in surprise at Trish. Dez was wearing a bright smile that mirrored the one Austin had on his face previously when he had caught Ally from falling.

"Will you introduce your friend to us?" Austin smiled at her.

"Sure. Trish, this is Austin and Dez. Guys, this is Trish."

Trish glanced back at the two who had extended their hands out in greeting to her. She then rolled her eyes and said a quick hi before turning back to her locker and ignoring them.

Ally smiled and turned back to the two, "Don't mind her, she doesn't take well to strangers. You'll realise that she's actually really nice when you know her better."

"We do hope to get to know her better," agreed Dez. Trish closed her locker and took a better look at the two. Though cute, she still found them extremely weird and creepy.

"Hey, Trish," a voice whispered into her ear from behind. She smiled as Trent planted a kiss on her cheek and looped his arms around her.

"Hey back at you."

"Oh hey, I see you've met my new buddies, Austin and Dez!" said Trent.

"Yes, I have," replied Trish, looking back at the guys. Austin had an expression of surprise, and Dez…Dez had a murderous frown on his face and his jaw was clenched. _Well, that was odd._ Trish briefly wondered what had gotten into him before Trent started to drag her away.

"Well, let's go," he said, gently pulling Trish along as he waved goodbye to the bunch.

* * *

-end-

A/N: Sorry, short chapter. But the guys finally meet the girls! And more to come soon. :)


	7. Chapter V

A/N: Need. More. A&A. Episodes.

A million thanks to **WinterFairy7337** and **Anne** for their wonderful beta efforts!

I do not own Austin & Ally.

* * *

Dez was furious.

How dare that…that…he was so distressed that all attempts at polite vocabulary escaped him. How _dare_ that hoodlum put his hands on his woman so intimately?

As he paced around Mike's living room in circles, Austin watched his friend with concern. He'd managed to persuade Ally to tutor him as he was already failing everything on his first day, so the lucky man was already on his way to getting to know her.

Unfortunately for Dez, it seemed that Trish here was already attached to someone. It was going to be much harder to convince her of the truth.

"Hey, at least you guys found the girls on your first day. What're the odds of that?" Mike tried to calm Dez down.

The attempt surprisingly worked Dez was now contemplating the positive aspects of finding Trish.

"Fine, we will just find a way to talk to Trish somehow. But that man had better not have sullied my woman," frowned Dez before flopping down on a beanchair with a sigh.

"Do not worry, Dez. I am sure Trish can take care of herself. She is a tough girl," Austin reassured him.

* * *

"Good morning, milady," Austin greeted Ally with a kiss on her hand when they met up at the library. Dez had decided against joining them so the two could have some time alone. The ginger, meanwhile, had plans to walk the new pet turtle that Donna had bought for him.

"Good morning. You really like to play the gentleman, don't you?"

"Well, there was a period in history when people actually had manners, so…yes."

Ally laughed, "You make it sound as if everyone now has a complete lack of social propriety. Not everyone acts like Trish, you know."

"Trish?"

"She _was _a little brash when she met you guys. So I thought…"

"A little?" Austin raised a brow in amusement and Ally smacked him lightly on the arm.

Then she started looking around, as if searching for someone. "Are you expecting anyone else?" he asked curiously.

Ally looked back at him, startled and embarrassed to have been caught in the act. "N-no. I was just wondering about the whereabouts of a librarian."

"Oh! What about that lady? Maybe she can help!" Austin pointed out an elderly lady at the reception.

"No no. I was looking for Dal-, never mind. Let's just look for the books we need." Austin stared confusedly after Ally who had nervously sped off with a blush.

* * *

"So, which subjects do you need help with?" Ally asked as they stood in front of a massive bookshelf.

"Um…" Austin dithered.

She raised a quizzical brow as she stared at him.

"All…of them?" he gave a sheepish smile.

* * *

"Well, since you need help with almost all of your subjects besides PE and English, I figured that perhaps a quieter and more private location for tutoring would be better," explained Ally as she opened the door to her home. "If that's okay with you," she added.

"Oh, I am fine with this, trust me," Austin beamed sincerely, happy to have more personal time with her. Ally found his words slightly strange but since he seemed nice and honest, she decided to shrug it off.

Ally led him upstairs to her study room. "My dad's away at a convention, so we shouldn't be bothered much."

Austin gasped once he reached the top of the stairs. Books were everywhere. They were piled in stacks on her tables, against her walls, and in her hallways. Noticing his surprise, she explained with a smile, "Books are my drugs of choice," she smiled.

"I seriously hope that that is your _only _drug of choice because you seem to be a strong addict," he said seriously and Ally giggled.

"But that is what I like about you," he whispered.

"What did you say?"

"I said that we should probably get started on our tutoring!" replied Austin cheerily as he skipped into her study.

Ally hesitantly followed him without further questioning.

* * *

Dez was happily walking his turtle in the park. And by walking, it really meant that he was literally shuffling minute step by minute step with a balloon leash as the reptile crawled steadily.

He had often done that with his own pets back home in his gardens and he figured why not keep some of his habits here. He did wish Trish was here to tease him about this though; he smiled as he thought of the feisty princess. _His_ feisty princess, he growled to himself as the memory of Trent with his arms around her slinked back into his mind.

"Babe, you know we're meant to be."

_It was as if the thought of Trent with Trish infuriated him so much that he was even hearing his voice now._

"You know I'm only dating Trish cause she knows like, so many influential people in the music biz. Plus, she throws the best parties in town. Y'know I gotta keep my social status up."

_Wait a second._ Dez peered behind the hedge that he was next to, only to find Trent sitting on a bench and speaking into a devil device.

_'Speak of the devil…oh! A devil is using a devil device! Sweet alliteration! No. Focus.'_

"Girl, you know you're the one for me," Trent cooed into the device. "Once I get a sweet gig, I'm going to dump Trish and we can live the high life!"

Dez's eyes widened in indignation when the realisation of what was happening dawned on him. That disgusting scumbag was using Trish! For something called a gig, whatever that was.

"Alright fine, I'll try to get out of tonight's date so I can go spend some time with my little boo, k?"

Dez vowed to expose the man's true colours as he tiptoed away with his pet turtle in hand, only to bump straight into the girl herself.

"Trish?!" he squeaked.

"Sup ginger?" she greeted.

"Hey sweetie!" Dez watched as Trent popped up behind the hedge. Trish smiled at him and Dez felt a fire burning in his chest. Heartburn, perhaps?

"Oh hey Dez! What're you doing here?" Trent seemed to have only just noticed the redhead.

"Just taking a walk," Dez said. He attempted to smile, but it came out more as a grimace.

"I see. Anyway Trish, I know we arranged to go to the movies tonight but my mom needs me home to entertain some of her colleagues that are coming over," Trent pouted and said apologetically.

"Aww. Oh well, since it's your mom…I'm OK, I guess. We'll just reschedule," Trish replied cheerily.

"Thanks! I knew you'd understand. Bye baby girl." He kissed her cheek before leaving.

There was a moment of silence as Dez debated his next course of action.

"Trent, he…" Dez began tentatively.

Trish looked at him questioningly.

"He…He seems to be seeing another woman…" Dez said cautiously.

Trish looked surprised for a moment before giving him a small wry smile. "I know."

* * *

"Where've you been?!" Austin was greeted by a panicky Donna as he stepped foot into the house.

"I had a study session with Ally, you knew that. Why are you—"

"What is going on?" asked Dez when he walked into the house a second later.

"Why didn't you pick up your phone?!" Donna rounded on Dez with impatience.

"Erm…" Dez looked down anxiously at the girl who seemed extremely irate. "I forgot your instructions on how to answer it?"

"BUT I ALREADY TAUGHT YOU GUYS!" Donna yelled at them.

"Why are you so mad?" questioned Austin, confused by her outburst.

"Because Michael's missing!"

* * *

-end-

A/N: What happened in the park between Dez and Trish? Where'd Mike go? And an unwelcome surprise for Austin and Dez? A mildly jealous Austin? Tune in next chapter! :)


	8. Chapter VI

A/N: Yay for the news of Season 4! Now for a movie? :D

Ho hum~ I want more airings of of A&A episodes!

Thanks to **Anne **and **WinterFairy7337** for their amazing betaing!

I do not own Austin & Ally.

* * *

"What do you mean, 'Michael is missing'?" Dez asked nervously.

"IT MEANS THAT HE'S LOST! GONE! NOWHERE TO BE FOUND! YOU DIG?"

Austin placed a hand on Donna's right shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Donna, please, you need to take a deep breath and calm down," he said soothingly.

Donna shoved his hand aside. "CALM DOWN?" she yelled at Austin, looking at him as though he were insane. "HOW CAN I CALM DOWN? MY BEST FRIEND'S DISAPPEARED!"

"You need to tell us what exactly happened then we can help to look for him."

Frustrated, Donna wanted to shout again, She wanted tell Austin off for acting so calm when he was _supposed_ to be panicking. Instead, his words were processed into her brain and she forced herself to take a slow, deep breath in order to compose herself. Austin was right; this was no time to be losing her mind.

"The two of you weren't home by dinnertime," she started explaining in a calmer tone. "We tried calling several times but neither of you picked up."

"There is no need to worry about us! We are grown men, you know," Austin pointed out, giving her a small smile.

"Yeah! But you're not from around here!" Donna argued. "We were worried that you guys might've lost your way or gotten into trouble again!"

Austin and Dez exchanged glances as the girl let out yet another sigh of frustration. She started chewing on her nails—a nervous habit of hers—and paced the room, clearly alarmed and distressed. The boys were beginning to feel quite guilty indeed.

"We will go and look for him. You will stay here in case he calls or comes home," stated Austin. "Call us if he contacts you, alright?"

Donna nodded as she worriedly saw the two guys out the door.

* * *

After a quick discussion, Austin and Dez decided to split up to look for Mike. The former of the two soon found himself in a quiet part of the neighbourhood.

Peeking into dark alleys and querying the few passers-by that he had encountered, he himself was starting to get worried as well.

After what felt like hours, Austin leaned against a stretch of wall decorated with graffiti, pondering on his next course of action.

Where in the world was Mike?

Sighing heavily, he wondered just how much of what was happening real or not. He was suddenly filled with a sense of dread. Thoughts of worse-case-scenarios, from all the 'what ifs' to the 'could haves' plagued his mind and he felt his control slipping further and further away from his grasp. Filled with inner turmoil, he felt like he could burst at any minute. More than ever, all he wanted now was to be back home with Ally, Trish and Dez. He wanted to be back home with his family.

But now another one of his family members was lost, and he was still helpless. He berated himself for not taking care of the child more. After all, he was the adult in the whole situation, and a future king to boot.

He took a minute to clear his head and was planning to search the next block, when he heard a little sniffle.

Looking around haphazardly, he identified that the noise was coming from behind a large smelly thing deep in the alley.

"Michael?" he called out softly as he carefully stepped over shards of broken glass and…was that thing moving? Austin gave a shudder as he called out again. The sniffling immediately stopped.

"Austin?" a small scared voice echoed back.

Austin looked behind the large smelly thing to find no one. '_Strange.'_

He was startled by the lid of that large smelly thing opening and he smiled down at the shivering pile that was peeking out at him.

"Michael? What are you doing inside this large smelly thing?"

"You mean the dumpster?"

"Uh, I guess?"

"Well, some really tall boys were chasing after me because I refused to give them my allowance. I tripped over the glass but managed to hide in here from them."

Austin frowned as he carefully lifted the boy out of the dumpster. His eyes widened as he noticed the silvers of glass sticking to the boy's bloodied knees.

"You can put me down now," stated Mike, for he remained dangling in mid-air.

Austin merely eased the boy into his arms as gently as he could, lest he hurt his knees any more than they already were.

"Uh—"

"You're injured," interrupted Austin sternly.

"But…" Mike started to protest but stopped short upon seeing the look of anger on the blond's face.

The walk home was rather silent. Only when Mike couldn't take the silence anymore did he pipe up with a soft, "Sorry."

Austin looked down in surprise at the boy. "What for?" he questioned.

"For getting lost and making you mad. And Donna's probably gonna kill me!"

Austin chuckled at the look of fright on the kid's face.

"I'm not mad at you," he said. "I'm mad at myself for not protecting you. And you were not lost," Austin reassured Mike. "You just chose the long way home."

Mike could have sworn that the man almost looked like a king at the moment.

* * *

Dez was stealing glances at Trish throughout lunch the next day. They were seated at the same table, thanks to their shared friendship with Trent who was oblivious to the staring. Trish however, ignored him the entire time.

_-flashback-_

_Dez looked at Trish in surprise. She didn't seem to be as upset as she should have been._

_"So you heard the entire conversation just now?"_

_"Well, that, and I knew about it a long time ago. Trent isn't the best at keeping things on the down low." Dez assumed that that meant that Trent was not good at keeping secrets._

_"I see…" Trish looked surprisingly nonchalant about the whole thing to Dez's surprise._

_Trish gave his confused look a knowing smirk. "You're wondering why I don't seem dismayed."_

_Dez gave a slow nod._

_"Let's just say that we both have our uses for each other." Trish's expression darkened slightly._

_Dez decided not to pursue the subject matter as it seemed that it troubled her. He figured that she would perhaps share with him her reasons once she was ready._

_The two of them sat down on the bench that Trent had vacated, quietly watching children play on the nearby playground._

_Dez snuck a peek at the girl; she still seemed a little upset._

_"Well!" he suddenly announced, startling the girl out of her thoughts._

_"The most challenging issues can be successfully explained, if one has puppets and a box of crayons."_

_'What?' thought Trish._

_She watched as Dez skipped over the children. In about fifteen minutes, he had somehow managed to create a mini puppet theatre using cardboard, scraps of cloth and used water bottles all found lying around the field. She could only gape._

_"Let children be weird. Weirdoes have passion and crazy ideas. They make us think," Dez said in a high-pitched voice, entertaining the children, their parents and caretakers. Even passers-by had stopped to watch, commenting on the inspiring stories that the puppeteer was acting out._

_Trish was still watching agog when the redhead ambled back to the brunette._

_"Trish?"_

_No response._

_"TRISH!"_

_"Ahhh! What was that for, you doof!"_

_"You were staring into space," shrugged Dez._

_"Oh…well. That was…that was pretty amazing."_

_"Thanks!" beamed Dez._

_"Anyway, I gotta go." Trish stood up to leave._

_"Wait! Erm. So you are still going to continue dating Trent?"_

_"I…I don't know," said Trish caught off guard. "What's it matter to you anyway?"_

_"Well, I-I…" Dez didn't know what to say without sounding or looking like a creep who was overly concerned._

_"Well, just…don't let other people tame you too much. Keep some wild," Dez said as he raised his hand to caress Trish's cheek. Trish almost lost herself to the strangely familiar soothing motion before she caught herself._

_Smacking away his hand, she narrowed her eyes at him and slapped him. "Are you crazy? Don't. Touch. Me." With that, she left him alone in the park, his hand on his stinging cheek._

_-end flashback-_

Dez sighed.

Trish's eyes flickered to him for a moment before her gaze returned to her food.

* * *

Austin watched Ally twirl a strand of her hair whilst she spoke to someone. He couldn't see the other guy clearly through the crowd in the corridors, but he could hear them.

"Hey Dallas," Ally greeted him demurely.

Austin wondered about Ally's sudden change in her mannerisms.

"I was at the library yesterday but I didn't see you."

Austin thought back and realised with a jolt that Ally had indeed been looking for someone at the library; this person named Dallas. Interesting that he had the same name as his duke. Wait. Ally had been blushing. She had been all shy and demure…did she like this guy or something?!

Austin glared at the unknown guy until the crowd cleared and he saw the man himself.

"Dallas?!" cried Austin.

* * *

-end-

A/N: :O

So my dad is taking care of his friend's dog for a couple of weeks, and I'm trying to deal with it by managing my zoophobia. Not cool.

Anyway, the chapters are subsequently getting longer as we approach the end soon. Hope you enjoy them!


End file.
